Power Trip
by Whisker Biscuit
Summary: Learning you may or may not have eco powers due to your status as precursor is pretty sweet. Figuring out how to get those powers to work? Not so much. Ah well, at least Jak knows how to do it, even if he's just as puzzled as you are.


_It had started out as a joke._

"Hey Jak, ya think since I'm a precursor I got some a' that magicky stuff?"

Sitting at their tiny pull-out table, Jak paused, an apple half-way to his mouth. He quirked a brow. The apple dropped.

"You think so, Dax?"

The ottsel snorted, sprawled across the tabletop. "Course not, I just think it'd be hilarious, don't you? Freakin' people out with dumb light shows and stuff," he trailed off and pouted, "…specially since you won't do it when I ask ya to."

Daxter stretched and stared off into space, continuing his outer monologue. "Man, I don't know why you haven't done that to Torn yet. Old Iron Lungs would have a heart attack. Could you imagine the look on his face? Gosh," he snickered, unaware of his best friend's face turning contemplative, "priceless! And if ya got Ashelin at the same time?! She'd probably fall out of that 'armor' a hers." Daxter's face went from prankster to perv in 2 seconds and his playful smirk turned impish.

So caught up in his thoughts, the ottsel failed to see Jak slowly set the apple down and stand up. By then it was too late.

"Do you wanna try?"

"Heh, Tess would like it though, she'd – wait, what?!"

Now here he was in Spargus (stupid, sandy city) with Jak crouched down next to him (flippin' friends and 'feelings'), staring at the sparkling flow of the light eco fountain.

 _So much for jokes._

* * *

"This isn't gonna work, Jak. I don't got the mojo like you do."

They stood in front of the eco reservoir – well, Daxter stood and Jak crouched – and watched it gush in and out of itself. Daxter had his arms folded in open skepticism, his face set in irritation and maybe just a bit of nervousness. The fountain looked fine, sure, but he wasn't fooled. Eco was treacherous.

"Don't worry about doing anything fancy. Just get a feel for it, let it flow around you. Get used to it." His best friend stuck his hand in and let out a breath of air. The light eco glided around his skin like a cloud.

"Buddy, if riding on your shoulder for years isn't enough to get me used to it, I don't know what is."

"Just try it Dax, c'mon."

Grumbling to himself, the ottsel slowly reached forward with one paw. Right before it made contact, he hesitated. This wasn't the residue eco leftover from Jak's activities that vaporized as soon as it was used, nor the small scavenged bits that made his fur puff out as they were absorbed into his buddy. Heck, even when Jak used the fountain it rarely ever touched the little furry thing on his shoulder. This was the real deal. Full, concentrated eco.

He glanced at his friend, who was lazily manipulating the stuff into foggy swirls. At Daxter's uncertain gaze, he gave a small smile and a nod.

Welp. No going back now.

Closing his eyes to keep his nerve, Daxter thrust his arm forward, flinching when it prickled his fur in a sudden icy chill. He waited for pain, for the moment his body would turn to fire and needles and – nothing was happening.

One eye popped open, then the other. The eco was swimming around his paw and doing nothing else. Huh. He twitched one finger, and when that didn't do anything he made a fist. Nothing. The light stuff simply worked its way around the new addition.

"Nice one."

He almost jumped at Jak's voice beside him. The teen had taken his own hand out and was now watching Daxter closely. He was grinning, and the ottsel felt himself mirroring it.

"Check it out Big Guy, it likes me!" They watched the eco curl against his wrist and settle there.

"So it does." Jak sat cross-legged on the sand.

"So uh…now what?"

"Now close your eyes and feel it. Pay attention to the way it moves naturally."

"You're copying Samos word for word, you know that right?" Nevertheless, Daxter complied and shut his eyes. The eco felt…cold and heavy, like the morning mist back in the Forbidden Jungle only without the wetness. It still clung to his fur, but now that he paid attention he realized that most of it was ignoring him and going on its way. It was like he had stuck his hand in a moving creek. His face scrunched up in puzzlement and he waved his paw experimentally. There was no resistance, just the cold and the current.

Jak shifted and leaned towards his alert ears. "What's it feel like?"

"Uh…" Daxter opened his eyes again, "well it ain't killin' me yet, so that's good." He flashed a grin when his friend snorted. "But uh, to be honest, it's not bad. Weird and eco-y, but I kinda like it? Huh."

"Mm," the teen hummed in agreement. "That's good. Now move it."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Course I heard ya, you're just not making sense." The ottsel stared at the eco well. He uncurled the fist and flicked his paw once. The light stuff continued to gush around it, unperturbed by the sudden movement. "How am I supposed to do that? Is it like how you do it?"

Jak shrugged, unconcerned. "Dunno. By this point I would've absorbed it to use for later. Maybe it works differently for you."

"Or maybe I'm a normal person and not a super channeler with a centuries-old bloodline. But that's just my opinion."

"Can you just try? Here, imagine the eco on your fur as part of you. Try moving it like another part of your body."

Daxter frowned. Part of his body, huh? He could do that. He'd learned to use his tail after all. This should be a piece of cake. He looked down at the eco drifting lazily against him. He could still feel it, the way it moved. So if he just…

He flexed his fingers. The eco ebbed but didn't otherwise react. _Darn it._ Gritting his teeth, the ottsel waved his paw. Light eco moved around it on its own. _Dang it._ Frustrated now, he stuck his whole arm in and swung it back and forth, up and down. Nothing changed. Eco danced around him in a taunt and went on its merry way. Damn it!

"It's not working."

"I can see that."

"Well good to see your eyes are working, Jak! What am I supposed to do now?"

His best friend shook his head, clear confusion on his face. They watched together as the eco drifted back against Daxter's fur. "Maybe flex your muscles? Where the eco is clinging to you?" He sounded unsure, and Jak never sounded unsure.

"Fine, yeah, okay. Let's try that."

* * *

"Hate ta burst yer bubble, Jak, but I'm pretty sure this is a bust."

Daxter was tired. No, scratch that, he was exhausted. They had been here for 3 hours – 3 hours – with nothing to show for it. The sun was setting now and the wind had picked up, going from breezy nuisance to freezy nuisance.

"One more time, Dax, c'mon."

And Jak STILL thought something was gonna happen.

Sighing loudly and obnoxiously, Daxter stuck his paws against the flow of light eco for the umpteenth time. He stared, whiskers twitching as his fingers curled one by one, opening and closing. Nada. He pulled back and fell onto his back with another sigh.

"Toldja this was stupid." His eyes roamed right when Jak lied down next to him.

"It was worth a shot to try at least."

"Sure, buddy, but I think we can agree that the voodoo crud is stayin' with you and you only. I mean come on, not even those monk freaks could do much more than a pretty light show, and – "

"The monks!" Jak bolted straight up and slapped a hand to his head. "Why didn't I think of that? If anyone can help, it's Seem!"

"Noooo Jak, not her," the ottsel groaned, "She's so weird! And the temple is so far! And I'm tired! And it's getting late! And it's more dangerous out there at night! And I'm tired!" Jak held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright, easy. We won't go there tonight, okay?"

"Yes, _thank_ you!"

"We'll go tomorrow morning."

"Aww, but Jaaaaaaaaaak…"

Said blonde was already up and walking away. He shrugged as he moved but didn't look back. Daxter grumbled as he picked himself up, brushing sand off. He grumbled some more as he followed his best bud.

Neither of them noticed the thin wisps of eco trailing after the ottsel's feet as they left.


End file.
